- Start slow. If you try to make too many changes at once, you'll get overwhelmed and burn out. After awhile, things will become second nature and you can add other things to it.
- Don't expect fast results. Be in it for the long haul. The slower the loss more permanent it usually is. I aim for 1-2 pounds a week, but between menstrual gains and occasional falling off the wagon, it could be even less than that.
- Don't get overly discouraged by scale gains. Between water weight, muscle gain, a full colon and other factors, the number on the scale isn't really the most accurate measurement of progress on a week-to-week basis.
- I set simple, attainable short-term goals in 4 main categories every week to stay motivated: water, food, rest, exercise. (These are key to weight loss and good health).
Weekly Goal Example: 80 oz water a day, one salad and 2 fruits a day, 7 hours of sleep, 3 30-min workouts a week. That way, I am focusing on things I can control; I feel in control, not overwhelmed and not a slave to the scale. (I do weigh in once a week and measure myself every 5-10 weeks to track my progress.) If the goals become too easy, increase them. For example- increase daily water intake and leave everything else the same.- Have a way to be held accountable. I do weekly update videos on youtube (there's a great supportive weight loss community there, and it's free!) and sometimes post my workouts and pictures of my meals to twitter. Tell somebody. Keep a journal. Anything to track your progress or where you are going wrong.
- Look for motivation and tips. There is so much free support out there if you know where to look for it. You Tube has a ton of workout videos, cooking recipes and other people like me who are documenting their weight loss journey. They have different ways of losing it; some do grocery hauls and have blogs too. Here are a few other resources out there.
- http://www.antishayweightloss.com/faq is a great site one youtuber made that has some great tips.
- http://www.sparkpeople.com/ - You can track food and exercise and there are lots of tips and groups there.
- http://www.livestrong.com/ - You can track food and exercise and there are lots of tips and groups there.
- loseit for iphone- calorie tracker (I don't track but a lot of people like it.)
- tweetwhatyoueat- also a calorie tracker online
- http://www.thefitmission.com/ - online weightloss community, recipes, forums and more
- Of course, workouts are useless for weight loss (still good for your heart and other functions) if you don't make healthier food choices. Do a healthy grocery shop and pack your lunch more often than eating out. Cook healthier versions of your favorite foods. Don't eliminate entire food groups or make them "off limits" or "bad". (Sure, there are some foods that you should eat in smaller portions or more rarely, but when you feel deprived of certain foods you make yourself crazy. I have lost almost 20 pounds without counting a calorie or a "point", without weighing or measuring my food, without eliminating food groups. I still eat out a few times a week, and have dessert almost every day.)
- Very important- DON'T STRESS, JUST KEEP IT FRESH. Don;t allow yourself to get bored with your healthy living plan. Do what it takes to keep it fun and interesting. challenge yourself to drink only water for a week, try a new exercise, try a new recipe or vegetable, blog, take pictures of everything you eat and tweet it, track calories for a week. whatever it takes to keep it fun and fresh and doesn't make it seem like a miserable chore. if you hate doing it, it won;t be a lifestyle change.
I hope this has been helpful. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask me at:
http://www.formspring.me/freshfoodie
great advice. I'm really glad you posted this. Looks like you've really studied hard.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post! So many of us get frustrated and try to do too much at once. this is great. Thank you!
ReplyDelete- savvy
Thank you so much, I will be checking in for more tips
ReplyDelete